One week before Leng Yanmi's return to the country, the competition officials announced the results of the preliminary round.
The fashion design program at Shi Yue's university ranked among the top in the nation, and this time, three contestants from her school were selected to compete — herself, her cousin Shi Fang, and Shen Lingling.
As soon as the list was released, it shot to the top of the trending searches, adding more heat to the competition.
Leng Mingchuan glanced at the list, his face darkening: "Why are those two also on it?"
Vice President Zhang Zhuo rubbed his temples, explaining, "The selection list went through several layers of review by the judges. To ensure fairness, the designers' identities were hidden during the process, and a third-party verification agency oversaw the evaluation.
"Do you have any concerns about the result?"
"Forget it." Leng Mingchuan waved his hand and leaned back in his chair. "Brother Zhang, send me the schedule for the rest of the competition."
Zhang Zhuo looked puzzled. "Hasn't it already been sent to your email?"
Leng Mingchuan shook his head. "Not that one." Lowering his voice, he said, "I want the most detailed version, including every task and scoring standard for each round. The version you sent before didn't have that."
Zhang Zhuo smiled wryly, replying, "Young Master Leng, you might not know this, but aside from the first round, the other tasks and formats are still in the planning stage. They'll be finalized based on the situation at the time and the judges' opinions."
"Why make it so complicated?" Leng Mingchuan complained.
Zhang Zhuo explained, "Adjusting the competition in real-time allows us to capitalize on trending moments. If it's too formulaic, the audience might lose interest."
Leng Mingchuan's eyes widened slightly. "So, theoretically, we could change the rules and tasks anytime we want?"
Zhang Zhuo nodded, "In theory, yes."
Hearing this, Leng Mingchuan smirked. "I see."
He stood up and walked to Zhang Zhuo's side. "First, send me the plan for the first round."
Zhang Zhuo replied, "There are still some details being confirmed. I was going to send it to you this afternoon for approval. Should I bring the document to you later?"
"I won't be in the office this afternoon. The company seal is in my office, so take it and stamp it yourself," Leng Mingchuan said as he passed by. "Send me the electronic version too."
"Got it," Zhang Zhuo replied.
Satisfied with the answer, Leng Mingchuan nodded and left the office, humming a light tune.
Behind him, Zhang Zhuo sighed and resigned himself to the overwhelming workload. With the design competition approaching, the whole company was swamped, yet only Leng Mingchuan, their carefree CEO, had the luxury to be late or leave early as he pleased.
Five days later, the seven finalists gathered to begin recording.
While in the taxi, Shi Yue took the opportunity to review the competition schedule that had been sent by the officials. The seven contestants would participate in a total of seven recorded sessions, divided into elimination rounds and point-based rounds. The first four were elimination rounds, with the lowest scorer in each round being eliminated until only three contestants remained for the final point-based competition.
The point-based competition would consist of three rounds, and the final rankings would be determined by the total points scored across all three rounds.
This format was almost exactly as described in the novel, so it was within Shi Yue's expectations. After reviewing it, she closed her eyes and rested until the friendly driver informed her they had arrived at the destination. Thanking him, she grabbed her luggage and got out.
The competition venue was a riverside villa, and during the recording period, the seven contestants would live there under the observation of cameras during normal hours. In the villa's small garden, Shi Yue ran into Shi Fang, who was also dragging a suitcase.
The two families had already fallen out, so Shi Fang no longer bothered to put on a friendly face. She scoffed, her tone mocking: "You really lucked out."
There were no cameras in the garden, so Shi Yue glanced at her and smiled faintly. "My luck is indeed good. Not like you, Cousin, who got in purely on 'merit.'"
Shi Fang's face darkened at Shi Yue's sarcastic tone.
Before she could retort, a Rolls-Royce pulled up at the entrance. Both of them instinctively turned to look and saw Leng Mingchuan and Shen Lingling getting out of the car. Leng Mingchuan went around to help Shen Lingling with her luggage, while Shen Lingling, spotting the two of them, leaned against the car and shot them an ambiguous smile.
"Bitch!" Shi Fang cursed under her breath.
She grabbed Shi Yue, who was about to enter the villa. "Shi Yue, we're still family. Shen Lingling has Leng Mingchuan backing her, and there's no way either of us can beat her"
"Why don't we team up and find a way to get her eliminated during the competition?"
Shi Yue shook off her hand. "Not interested."
With that, she strode ahead, leaving Shi Fang behind as she entered the villa.
Shi Fang squinted at her retreating figure, her expression malicious. But soon, she composed herself, plastered on a perfect smile, and hurried to follow Shi Yue inside.
Aside from the two of them, three other contestants were already in the villa. They were gathered in the living room with their luggage.
Shi Fang approached them and greeted, "Why are you all standing around?"
A dark-skinned girl explained, "The staff told us there's going to be a small test to determine the order we get to choose our rooms. We're waiting for everyone to arrive before starting."
"Huh?" Shi Fang's eyes widened, and she visibly tensed up. "So, we're starting the competition already?"
A boy with small braids sitting on the sofa smiled, showing dimples. "It's not the actual competition. No one's getting eliminated. This is just to decide our room arrangements."
Shi Fang sighed with relief and sat next to him, striking up a conversation.
Shi Yue, as usual, stayed silent and found a single-seat sofa to sit on.
This unexpected test wasn't in the novel, but Shi Yue had prepared herself to demonstrate her design skills. As long as the task was reasonable, she wasn't worried.
After ten more minutes, Shen Lingling and the last contestant, Zhou Leya, arrived.
Zhou Leya was two minutes late, but she casually apologized to the staff and other contestants, "Sorry for the delay, my flight was late."
With everyone gathered, the host, Li Yan, began announcing the test.
"As you know, we'll be determining the room selection order with a simple game. But don't worry, all the rooms are similarly spacious and comfortable. The only difference is that there are three rooms on the third floor and four on the second floor.
"If you like peace and quiet, the third floor is ideal. If you prefer a livelier environment, the second floor is a good choice."
Shi Fang quickly interjected, "Can we choose not to participate? I'm fine with either floor."
The host smiled, "Theoretically, yes, but…"
She paused dramatically for half a minute before continuing, "This little game is closely tied to our first elimination round, so I don't think any contestant should skip it."
Her words immediately sparked everyone's curiosity.
Satisfied with the reaction, the host beamed. "Now, let's welcome our first elimination round's special guests: M.Crush!"
As soon as the group's name was announced, one of the contestants couldn't help but scream.
Even the usually calm Shi Yue widened her eyes slightly. Although she wasn't a fan of celebrities, M.Crush was currently the hottest female Alpha group. The group consisted of seven members, each with a distinct style, tall figures, and stunning looks.
After the initial shock, Shi Yue's first thought was that the design competition's content was completely different from what she had read in the novel. In the original story, M.Crush never appeared. She only knew about the group because their endorsements were everywhere in this world.
Amid cheers, the seven members of M.Crush descended the stairs from the second floor and entered the living room.
After some brief introductions, the host announced the test. "For the first test, we're asking each of you to design a performance outfit for M.Crush within an hour. We'll display the designs, and M.Crush will select their favorite. The ranking will determine the room selection order."
Glancing at her watch, the host added, "You have ten minutes to observe and ask questions before M.Crush leaves, and the one-hour countdown begins."
"Please make good use of your time."
As soon as the host finished, Shi Fang eagerly asked, "What kind of performance outfit do you prefer?"
It was an amateurish question, as the members of M.Crush weren't designers and couldn't give a precise answer. Sure enough, KK, the most easy-going member, mentioned wanting to try a sequined short skirt, while Mu Zhou, the tallest, said she preferred elegant pants. The group's leader simply shrugged, saying, "Anything is fine, as long as it's comfortable."
These unrelated answers almost wiped the smile off Shi Fang's face.
Then, the boy next to Shi Fang asked, "I've watched all your performances this year. Which outfits have left the deepest impression on you as a group?"
This was a much more focused question.
Sure enough, after some discussion, the seven members agreed on two standout outfits. One was a luxurious silver-gray suit ensemble, exuding both elegance and power. The other was a dark, side-slit evening gown that had gone viral for showcasing their long legs during a dance routine. Even Shi Yue had seen that viral video, despite only casually browsing short clips.
The ten minutes flew by, and the host led M.Crush out as the contestants were ushered into a nearby workspace to begin their designs.
With only an hour, they needed to at least sketch a preliminary design to present to the group members for ranking.
Shi Yue had already formed an idea in her mind. Finding a quiet corner in the workspace, she began sketching. Based on what she'd observed of the M.Crush members' personalities, she chose to start with a cheongsam as the base design, then adapted it with specific details tailored to the three most distinct members.
For KK, who wanted a short skirt, she designed a short cheongsam with sequins lining the hem, blending the softness of the fabric with the metallic shine of the sequins for a striking contrast.
For Mu Zhou, she drew a long cheongsam with a bold side slit and extended train, adding a layer of elegance.
For the leader, who prioritized comfort, she paired the cheongsam with a white fur stole for a touch of luxury and ease.
As she finished the first cheongsam sketch, a shadow fell across her workspace. Looking up, she saw Shi Fang hovering nearby, looking guilty.
Shi Yue frowned, instinctively covering her design. "What do you want?"
"Nothing." Shi Fang deliberately sat down next to her. "The show didn't say we couldn't talk and exchange ideas. Can't I chat with you?"
Shi Yue frowned. "I don't need to 'exchange ideas.' You're disturbing my work."
"…Ugh, what are you acting all high and mighty for?" Shi Fang sneered.
Shi Yue shot a glance at the nearby camera.
Shi Fang immediately grew nervous and quickly stood up. "Fine, no chatting then! I was just trying to share my thoughts, but I guess you don't appreciate it!"
With that, she stomped off.
Shi Yue couldn't be bothered to respond and continued working.
Since her ideas were clear, despite the large workload of three sketches, she managed to finish everything just before the time was up. The three cheongsams shared a unified style but each had its own unique flair. While some details were rough, they were good enough to be satisfactory.
The host entered, announcing that the time was up and instructing everyone to submit their designs and return to the living room.
By the time Shi Yue submitted her sketches and returned, Shen Lingling was already seated on the sofa, waiting. Turning to Shi Yue, she smirked openly, her disdainful expression completely unhidden.